Lessons from Frosting
by fairfarrenlovelylydia
Summary: Alice's recollections on life with Margaret and a special moment they shared together. Written for the AiW Writing Challenges Forum on . No pairings :  R&R...and join the Forum!


Prompt: Frosting

Written for the AiW Writing Challenges...found in the AiW forum pages on .

Summary:Alice's recollections on life with Margaret and a special moment they shared together_  
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><p><em>Remembering. That was Alice did on occasion; when the nights were dark and long or when she was merely waiting for the time to pass. She would close her eyes and recollect...<em>

"ALICE KINGSLEIGH!" Margaret cried in frustration. Alice had once again been dipping her fingers in the bowl of batter, trying her best to sneak the largest glob behind her sister's back. Margaret had been the one who was truly creating. She had easily cracked the eggs without spilling (so much unlike Alice who would have gotten the liquid whites all over the counter top) and combined them with the sugar, brown sugar, flour, and butter. She had been mixing the pieces all together with a large wooden spoon but Dinah distracted her from her work as she tried to get into the milk that she had poured onto the table. Margaret had chased after the cake and Alice took the chance to dip her pointer finger into the wet mix. She had fingers sucking the last bit of the unmixed cake off her skin when Margaret turned.

"If you eat all the batter now we'll have none to make into a cake for Father." She groaned, her hand going to the wooden spoon to begin mixing again. Alice sighed; Margaret had asked her to make a cake for her Father's birthday. Alice would have much rather spent the time with her ill patriarch but she knew her time with Margaret was coming to an end quicker than her time Charles Kingsleigh. Alice looked once more to the giant engagement ring on her sister's left hand. Lowell Manchester had succeeded in charming her level headed sister into a tizzy and Margaret was getting married in a couple weeks. Alice could hardly believe it.

"Would you get out of that silly dream world of yours, Alice? I swear, if you bake by yourself you'll burn the whole mansion down." She said with a laugh. She indicated to the sacks of sugar, sticks of butter, the bottle of vanilla, as well as some of the milk. "Would you be a dear and make the icing for me? It wouldn't be a very proper cake without the icing."

Alice frowned. "I don't really want to be told what to do. All you do is bully me Margaret Kingsleigh." She placed her hands on her hips. She loved her sister and enjoyed giving her a hard time. Margaret looked to Alice with a cold face.

"Just do what I ask, Alice. It's for Father, not for me." She flicked the wooden spoon as she put her hand up for emphasis. "Oops." She blushed as some of it landed on Alice's pinafore. Alice crossed her eyebrows.

"I'll make the icing alright." Alice responded. She did want to give her father a wonderful birthday. Silently she prayed the whole day that is wasn't his last. But she also wanted to pay back he sister for ruining her pinafore with the batter. She quickly dabbed at the mix with her finger, greedily trying to lick it up.

"Don't be such a swine, Alice. You've looked as if you've had enough cake for a life time." Margaret teased. "You can be a pig when the cake is done and Father has had his peace." She shook her head. "I will never know where you developed such the sweet tooth. Try your not to eat your Mother out of all the cookies while I am gone."

"Margaret, why do you have to go off and marry so quickly?" Alice asked as she silently double the ingredients.

"I am nearly nineteen, Alice." He sister said with a smile. "And in two years, when you are nearly nineteen, you too will be getting married and will be completely happy." She smiled at the smaller blonde. Alice furiously whipped the butter; her tongue sticking out in concentration. Everyone was getting ready to leave her. Margaret was going off with some man, her father was ill, and to make matters worse the nightmares had come back with full intensity. She was taking out her rage on the butter, whipping it to a fluffy texture. Alice sighed and began to pour in the rest of the ingredients. Margaret was humming a little tune as she placed the cake in its mold, sliding it into the oven.

"There, now we must wait a little bit." She said with a smile. "It'll spread best if you let it sit in the ice box a little bit before, give it a little firmness." She encouraged Alice. Alice hadn't finished combining the ingredients yet and Margaret was ready to move on to the next part.

Alice knew how the frosting felt; she and it were very much alike.

The last to be made even though mixed from similar ingredients, light and airy yet expected to be firmed into a mold. Both were pulled apart in order to try to fit everyone's needs as they were spread upon different surfaces. And they were never quite ready in time to move on with the things around them. Alice sighed.

"You're going to be alright, Alice." Margaret placed a hand on her sister's shoulder. She tucked some of Alice's blonde waves behind the girl's ear. "You'll find somewhere to call home. Mother and Father wouldn't let you be left behind." Margaret smiled. Alice whipped the frosting a little more and then sighed.

"It's done." She placed the whisk in the bowl among the airy sugar. Margaret smiled and stuck her finger in the bowl, scooping up a huge glob of icing. She eagerly placed it between her lips and licked the spread off her digits. Alice cried out in protest.

"Not fair! You told me that I couldn't try any of your batter." She threw her hands on her hips.

"Not true," Margaret winked. "I said you couldn't eat _all _of the batter and you had quite your fair share!" She smiled. "This was merely for the bit of cake you took from father. I am going to take a small bit of your frosting." She motioned toward the full bowl. "You've made plenty as it is. You can only put so much icing on a cake, your dolt." She laughed.

"Oh it wanted to try putting it somewhere else." Alice smiled, reaching into the bowl.

"Alice Kingsleigh," Margaret backed away. "What are you doing?" Worry flashed across her face as she noticed a wicked glint in Alice's eye. Alice laughed mischievously and went running to her sister. She placed the large bunch of white frosting in Margaret's reddish hair. Her sister shrieked and pulled some of it out. She caught hold of Alice's dress before the girl could bolt and pushed the frosting she had recovered from her hair into Alice's face. Alice laughed, returning to the bowl to get several more mounds of icing. Margaret was quick to grab some and the two began to coat each other in the sticky spread. It didn't, however, stay just on the girls.

When her mother entered the room several hours later, Alice smiled innocently. Helen's jaw dropped at the sight of her icing covered kitchen and children who proudly stood before a beautifully decorated cake.

"What on earth happened in here?" She asked looking about the room.

"Alice and I made a cake for father's birthday." Margaret smiled down at Alice who hid her hands behind her back.

"Yes, Mother. And we made the most delicious icing." Alice's deviant smile spread across her face. "You must try some!" She went running toward her mother with a handful of icing. Margaret grabbed a handful of her own from the bowl of icing and ran toward the surprised woman.

"Alice, Margaret!" Her mother laughed as she was covered in icing. Then she shook her head hopelessly. "You are your Father's daughters." She smiled as she took a bit of icing from her cheek and tasted the spread. "But you cook just like me." The three laughed together.

_Alice smiled at the memory. She had been brought back to the day because she was making a birthday cake for Tarrant. She had found her place just as Margaret had promised. Alice smiled as she recalled the rest of the event- her Father's raspy laugh at the sight of his three ladies covered in icing but bearing a beautiful cake. Alice finished piping the lettering on the cake she was making now as she came back to the life she led now. She smiled at her work and licked the bit of frosting that leaked from the bag. She sighed. Frosting and she were still the same but it brought her more comfort than it had before. Because frosting and she were both delicious and a lot of fun; everyone had the best time when they were around. _

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